What enters the mind of a Buddha when left idle? Suppose a Buddha were confined to a hospital bed or prison cell. One cannot remain within the conditioned states of jhana indefinitely. If one is unconditionally content, even in states of pain, it would seem there is no need to reflect or contemplate anything. Can you cite specific examples from the Buddha's life?

4 Answers
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Then the Gracious One, after living near Ambapālī’s Wood for as long
as he liked, addressed venerable Ānanda, saying: “Come Ānanda let us
approach the little village of Beluva.”

“Very well, reverend Sir,” venerable Ānanda replied to the Gracious
One. Then the Gracious One together with a great Community of monks
arrived at the little village of Beluva. There the Gracious One lived
near the little village of Beluva.

There the Gracious One addressed the monks, saying: “Go, monks, and
undertake the Rains Retreat in the vicinity of Vesālī living like
friends, like companions, like comrades, and I will spend the Rains
Retreat right here at the little village of Beluva.”

“Very well, reverend Sir,” and those monks, after replying to the
Gracious One, undertook the Rains Retreat in the vicinity of Vesālī
living like friends, like companions, like comrades. But the Gracious
One spent the Rains Retreat right there at the little village of
Beluva.

Then while dwelling for the Rains Retreat, a heavy affliction arose
for the Gracious One, and continued with strong and death-like
feelings. There the Gracious One dwelt mindfully, with full awareness,
and without being troubled. Then this occurred to the Gracious One:
“It is not suitable that I, without having addressed my attendants,
without having given notice to the Community of monks, should attain
Final Emancipation. Having energetically dismissed this affliction, I
could live on after determining the lifespan.”

Then the Gracious One having energetically dismissed that affliction
lived on after determining the lifespan. Then the Gracious One’s
affliction abated. Then, the Gracious One, having risen from that
sickness, not long after rising, departed from the Sick Room and sat
down on the prepared seat in front of that Room.

Then venerable Ānanda approached the Gracious One, and after
approaching and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down on one side.
While sitting on one side venerable Ānanda said this to the Gracious
One:

“I have seen, reverend Sir, the Gracious One comfortable, I have seen,
reverend Sir, the Gracious One bearing up while sick, and my body,
reverend Sir, became faint as it were, and although I could not see
straight, and things were not clear, it appeared to me, reverend Sir,
that the Gracious One was sick, but it was some small comfort that the
Gracious One would not attain Final Emancipation until the Gracious
One had spoken regarding the Community of monks.”

“But what, Ānanda, does the Community of monks expect of me? The
Teaching has been taught by me, Ānanda, without having made a
distinction between esoteric and exoteric, for the Realised One there
is nothing, Ānanda, of a closed teacher’s fist in regard to the
Teaching.

To whoever, Ānanda, this thought occurs: ‘I will lead the Community of
monks’ or ‘I am the instructer of the Community of monks’ let him
speak, Ānanda, regarding the Community of monks. But to the Realised
One, Ānanda, this thought does not occur: ‘I will lead the Community
of monks’ or ‘I am the instructor of the Community of monks’. Then
why, Ānanda, should the Realised One speak regarding the Community of
monks?

I, Ānanda, at present, am old, elderly, of great age, far gone,
advanced in years, I am eighty years old. It is like, Ānanda, an old
cart, which only keeps going when shored up with bamboo, just so,
Ānanda, I think the Realised One’s body only keeps going when shored
up with bamboo.

When the Realised One doesn’t pay attention, Ānanda, to any of the
signs, when all feelings have ceased, he lives having established the
signless mind-concentration, and at that time, Ānanda, the Realised
One’s body is most comfortable.

Therefore, Ānanda, live with yourself as an island, yourself as a
refuge, with no other refuge, with the Teaching as an island, the
Teaching as a refuge, with no other refuge. And how, Ānanda, does a
monk live with himself as an island, himself as a refuge, with no
other refuge, with the Teaching as an island, the Teaching as a
refuge, with no other refuge?

Here, Ānanda, a monk dwells contemplating the nature of the body in
the body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and
sorrow regarding the world; he dwells contemplating the nature of
feelings in feelings, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing
avarice and sorrow regarding the world; he dwells contemplating the
nature of the mind in the mind, ardent, fully aware, and mindful,
after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world; he dwells
contemplating the nature of things in various things, ardent, fully
aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the
world.

Thus, Ānanda, a monk lives with himself as an island, himself as a
refuge, with no other refuge, with the Teaching as an island, the
Teaching as a refuge, with no other refuge. For whoever, Ānanda,
whether at present or after my passing, lives with himself as an
island, himself as a refuge, with no other refuge, with the Teaching
as an island, the Teaching as a refuge, with no other refuge, those
monks of mine, Ānanda, will go from darkness to the highest—whoever
likes the training.”

Then, while he (Buddha) was alone and in seclusion, this line of thinking arose
in his awareness: "This Dhamma that I have attained is deep, hard to
see, hard to realize, peaceful, refined, beyond the scope of
conjecture, subtle, to-be-experienced by the wise. But this generation
delights in attachment, is excited by attachment, enjoys attachment.
For a generation delighting in attachment, excited by attachment,
enjoying attachment, this/that conditionality and dependent co-arising
are hard to see. This state, too, is hard to see: the resolution of
all fabrications, the relinquishment of all acquisitions, the ending
of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding. And if I were to teach
the Dhamma and if others would not understand me, that would be
tiresome for me, troublesome for me."

As the Blessed One reflected thus, his mind inclined to dwelling at
ease, not to teaching the Dhamma.

Then Brahma Sahampati, having known with his own awareness the line of
thinking in the Blessed One's awareness, thought: "The world is lost!
The world is destroyed! The mind of the Tathagata, the Arahant, the
Rightly Self-awakened One inclines to dwelling at ease, not to
teaching the Dhamma!" Then, just as a strong man might extend his
flexed arm or flex his extended arm, Brahma Sahampati disappeared from
the Brahma-world and reappeared in front of the Blessed One. Arranging
his upper robe over one shoulder, he knelt down with his right knee on
the ground, saluted the Blessed One with his hands before his heart,
and said to him: "Lord, let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma! Let the
One-Well-Gone teach the Dhamma! There are beings with little dust in
their eyes who are falling away because they do not hear the Dhamma.
There will be those who will understand the Dhamma."

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Uruvela on the bank
of the river Nerañjara at the foot of the Goatherd’s Banyan Tree just
after he had become fully enlightened. Then, while the Blessed One
was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in his mind thus: “I am
indeed freed from that gruelling asceticism! It is good indeed that I
am freed from that useless gruelling asceticism! It is good that,
steady and mindful, I have attained enlightenment!”

Then Mara the Evil One, having known with his own mind the reflection
in the Blessed One’s mind, approached the Blessed One and addressed
him in verse:

“Having deviated from the austere practice
By which men purify themselves,
Being impure, you think you’re pure:
You have missed the path to purity.”

Then the Blessed One, having understood, “This is Mara the Evil One,”
replied to him in verses:

“Having known as useless any austerity
Aimed at the immortal state,
That all such penances are futile
Like oars and rudder on dry land,

By developing the path to enlightenment—
Virtue, concentration, and wisdom—
I have attained supreme purity:
You’re defeated, End-maker!”

Then Mara the Evil One, realizing, “The Blessed One knows me, the
Fortunate One knows me,” sad and disappointed, disappeared right
there.

Agree on this ...it has always been an aim of mine to be content in any situation the term grounded in dharma also comes to mind .
– user10244Oct 26 '16 at 9:27

after his enlightenment, the Buddha could have spent the rest of his life in idle non-doing but did not. He continued teaching the dhamma until its end when he was no longer given a choice. Why? Is non-doing alone not sufficient for sustainable contentment?
– avatar KorraNov 13 '16 at 6:39

Buddha did Arahata Phala Samapatta (Extinguished, emptiness and neglecting any sankhara needed to be maintained, in brief Buddha was in the state of leaning Nirvana), in between his daily routines and his discourses on Dhamma.

When people are in aversion each other Buddha stayed with Metta, when people are in vain with debate/disagreement Buddha stayed with Upekkha. Buddha looked for people with sufferings to discourse Dhamma with Karuna Samapatta in every morning.